Manually removable crown cap



June 12, 1956 w. SATZ 2,750,062

MANUALLY REMOVABLE CROWN CAP Filed April 19, 1954 Wu. IAM 5/1 72,

INVENTOR.

ATTOENEYS.

MANUALLY REMOVABLE CROWN CAP William Satz,-Los Angeles, Calif.

Application April 19; 1954, Serial No. 424,137

4 Claims. (Cl. 215-46) The invention relates to closures for containers such as bottles and cans of the type normally found useful in holding carbonated beverages and other carbonated liquids. More particularly the invention relates to a crown cap of the type sold by the millions for capping bottled goods but which is varied to the extent of including an appendage to facilitate removal of the crown cap by the fingers, thereby obviating the necessity for using an opener.

In the soft drink business wherein liquids impregnated with gas are kept under considerable pressure and par-- ticularly in the carbonated beverage business, crowncaps have been developed as closures to an extent where when established specifications are followed the crown caps effect a positive seal under commercial conditions when applied by accepted commercial machinery almost without appreciable failures. Moreover, this industry i's so highly competitive that the amount ofmaterial', quality of material, and character of sealing washer has been so adroitly engineered and tested over a period of time that a minimum of material can be made use of by all persons in the industry.

Bottles and cans with which these crowncaps are used have also been developed to a point where: the beaded openings are substantially standardwithin a rather narrow variation limit.

When closures of this kind are capped in commercial quantities, capping machinery must be used in order: to operate competitively and this capping machinery and also the conveying machinery for the containers have. been developed along conventional lines which do not permit radical departures. That is to say, should any changes be contemplated in the design of crown caps, the changes must be so engineered that the newly engineered caps can be applied by the same machinery as is presently in wide-spread use. Any departure from accepted practices in the fabrication and application of crown caps will not admit of the employmentof crow-n caps with any less sealing capacity than those presently employed.

Chief among the defects in present crown caps is that they must be opened by employment of some special opening device. Bottle openers exist in great variety but all follow much the same principle in that they are-levers; one point of which is adapted to press down upon. the top of the crown cap and another point is adapted. to lift. up on the: bottom edge of the crown- Uncapping the crown cap invariably results in its destruction. so that it cannot conveniently be reused.

When proper openers are not.available,substituteopem ers cannot readily be used successfully. The edges,: of the crown on the cap are very sharp and readily tear or mar the edge of any object placed beneath them with sufficient force to unseat the closure. It is impossible to uncap such crown caps by use of thefingersnotonly because of. the sharpness but because of insufiiciency of leverage necessary to spread the crown wide enough to have the depressions lift over the bead of the container.

ited dtates Patent l 359,652 Patented .lune 12, 1956 ice tive to each, other in order to. release the crown from its.

engagement with the bead of the container. These attempts exhibit numerous defects preventing their commercial adaptation including high cost, dilficulty of manufacture, cumbersom'eness of: construction and numerous.

other factors which are a sufficient departure from conventional means as to render the closures unacceptable.

It is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide a new and improved closure of the crown cap variety which is capable of being unsealed and removed.

by hand but which is sufficiently similar to accepted conventional crowns as to minimize resistance to its adoption'.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved crown cap which is manually removable and which is also-sufiicientl'y inexpensive to compete with conventional crown caps.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved manually removable crown cap which is positive in its sealing action to the extent that it will hold equal or greater pressures of confined gaseous liquids than. crown caps commercially available.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a manually removable crow-n cap which is particularly easy to manipulate with the fingers without damage to the fingers of even sensitive hands.

Still further among the objects of the invention is to provide a new and improved crown cap including a manually removable feature, the over-all size of which is such that no increase in height is needed to accommodate a container equipped with the crown cap and which further is of such design that it can be applied by use of standard commercial machinery already widely used in the industries where. such crown caps are used in greatest abundance.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combinatiorr, of the various parts of the device whereby the objects, contemplated are attained, ashereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the ace omp anying drawings;

In the drawings;

Figure l; is avertical sectional View of the neck of a bottle showing the manually removable crown cap in sealing position.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the neck of a bottle showing the manually removable crown cap before being pressed into sealing position thereon,

Figure 3. is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 oi Figure: I looking at theunderside of the crown cap.

Figure: 4 is a plan view: of the crown cap in unsealed position.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line. 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure. 6 is a. transverse sectional. view taken on. the, line. 6'-6 of. Figure. 3..

In the. embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration the manually removable. crown cap is shown applied to the neck it) of a conventional glass. bottle of the type commonly used for carbonated beverages. At the upper end of the neck is an enlargement 11- above which is a rounded annular bead 12 so arranged on the bottle as to provide a rounded undercut 13 terminating in a valley 14. A rim 15' surrounds a pouring opening 16 by means of which the contents of the bottle are poured therefrom.

The manually removable crown cap comprises a flat central portion 17 on the under face 18 of which is affixed a sealing disc 19 customarily of cork and usually faced with some metallic foil of the type commercially employed to a great degree, although the foil in some instances has been replaced with an acceptable conventional plastic film.

The crown cap in its initial unsealed condition contains a series of narrow ridges 2t) equally spaced circumferentially about that portion of the cap usually identified as the crown and containing therebetween depressions 2i. concave on the outer face and convex on inner faces 22. The circumscribed inner perimeter touching all of the inner faces 22, identified by the reference character 23, is I such that it slides snugly over the head 12 Without the necessity of application of any appreciable force. The ridges 2!) before being sealed extend outwardly as illus trated in Figure 2 to a circumference wherein they can be readily pressed inwardly by suitable conventional inachinery during a capping operation.

The finger lift indicated generally by the reference character 24 consists essentially of a flap 25 of the same gage as the metal of the remaining portion of the crown cap. As shown, the flap is roughly rectangular with rounded corners as a matter of convenience and economy. For safety and comfort in manipulating the crown cap with the fingers in an unsealing operation, the rim of the flap on the three sides not attached to the body of the crown cap is rolled as indicated by the reference character 26. The length of the fiap is roughly about equal to onehalf the diameter of the flap portion, the important element in the length being such that when the flap is in closed or sealed position bent downwardly toward the neck of the bottle it will protrude outwardly far enough to enable the fingers to be inserted underneath it sufficient to secure a grip.

An upstanding longitudinal central rib 27 extends along the longitudinal center line of the cap. At its base 29 the rib is somewhat wider than the spread of one of the A ridges 20. From the base the sides of the rib diverge radially outwardly to the rounded part of the outermost edge. It will be noted further that the surface of the flap is somewhat gently curved as indicated at 31 in the section wherein Figure is taken and more sharply curved at 32 wherein the section of Figure 6 is taken.

In addition the flap 2.5 is provided with auxiliary ribs 34 which are in effect extensions of ridges like the ridges on each side of the base 29 of the central rib 27. These auxiliary ridges extend angularly outwardly relative to the axis of the central rib and in a true radial direction as do the remaining ridges 20 already referred to. The auxiliary ridges 34 run to the outermost lateral edges of the flap where they join the rolled rim 26 of the flap. Fillets 35 connect the auxiliary ribs 34 with immediately adjacent ribs 20 which are slightly longer than the ribs 20 in the embodiment shown. The fillets provide depressions 21 somewhat similar to the depressions 21 though slightly wider. Pressure points of the cap against the bead of the bottle along the line of the base of the flap are located close together at distances comparable to the spacing of the depressions 21. A uniform seal around the bottle opening is thereby assured. 7

As initially stamped the crown cap has the form illustrated in Figures 2 and 4. As there shown the flap extends outwardly in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the fiat central portion 17. The depressions 21 formed adjacent the fillets have the same minimum clearance as the inner faces 22 as do also depressions 36 formed on opposite sides of the central rib 27. Thus constructed there is no diminution in available inner faces between ridges adapted to satisfactorily press beneath the bead 12 along the undercut area 13 necessary for effectively sealing the crown cap on the neck of a container.

After the crown cap has been pressed into place by con ventional means it will have generally the shape illustrated in Figure 1. Ordinarily some device is employed to press against the outer edges of the ridges 20 urging them inwardly which has the effect of forcing the inner faces 22 against the undercut 13 causing them to slide inwardly along the undercut, thereby pressing the central portion 17 downwardly, pressing the sealing disc 19 to the extent that an effective seal is made around the rim 15 of the container.

This somewhat effective shrinkage of the circumference of the crown has the effect of bending the flap 25 downwardly to about the angle illustrated in Figure l. The deformation of the metal of the flap is such as to create the curvature along the sections illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. The curvature thus created has the effect of increasing the rigidity of the flap over that provided by the central rib 27 and auxiliary ribs 34. The creation of this additional rigidity is sufiicient to so strengthen the flap that it will not deform when pryed upwardly by the fingers any more than sufficient to spread the crown and permit the crown to be lifted clear of the bead 12.

There has accordingly been shown and described herein a crown cap adapted to be manually removed very expeditiously but wherein the amount of material and op" erations needed in forming the crown cap have been l-aept to substantially a minimum sufiicient to permit the article to be employed with substantially the same degrce of elfectiveness as conventional crowns. The article is further such that it can be applied with the same machinery presently used for applying crown caps except perhaps for some additional orienting features which might be made necessary because of the lateral protrusion of the fiap.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in what I have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of my invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a closure for a crown sealed container having a neck with a pouring opening therein, a rounded head at the outer end of the neck forming an undercut and a rim surrounding the pouring opening, the combination of a crown cap comprising a central flat portion adapted to fit over said rim and having an inner sealing face, a crown at the rim of said fiat portion of alternating outwardly extending substantially evenly spaced ridges and inwardly extending projections, said projections being adapted to engage beneath said head, and a finger lift comprising a flap extending radially outwardly from one side of the crown and encompassing a plurality of said ridges, said flap having a longitudinal central rib spanning a distance of substantially two ridges at the base and expanding progressively toward the edge of the flap, means at the base of the ridge adapted to engage beneath said head, said flap having an angularly downwardly extending position when in sealed position whereby to provide a finger hold for manually removing the crown cap.

2. In a closure for a crown sealed container having a neck with a pouring opening therein, a rounded bead at the outer end of the neck forming an undercut and a rim surrounding the pouring opening, the combination of a crown cap comprising a central fiat portion adapted to fit over said rim and having an inner sealing face, a crown at the rim of said fiat portion of alternating outwardly extending substantially evenly spaced ridges and inward ly extending projections, said projections being adapted to engage beneath said head, and a finger lift comprising a flap extending radially outwardly from one side of the crown and encompassing an excess of three of said ridges, said flap having a longitudinal central rib, a base of said rib having a breadth substantially equal to twice the distance between two of said ridges and expanding laterally progressively toward the outermost edge of the flap,

means at said base of the rib adapted to engage beneath said bead, auxiliary ribs at the sides of the central rib comprising extensions of correspondingly located ridges and extending radially outwardly at an angle to said central rib, said auxiliary ribs providing bead-engaging projections between the respective auxiliary rib and the central rib greater in breadth than the projections first identified, said flap having an angularly downwardly extending position when in sealed position whereby to provide a finger hold for manually removing the crown cap.

3. In a closure for a crown sealed container having a neck with a pouring spout, a rounded bead at the outer end of the neck forming an undercut and a rim surrounding the pouring opening, the combination of a crown cap comprising a central flat portion adapted to fit over said rim and having a sealing disc aflixed to the inner face, a crown at the rim of said flat portion of alternating outwardly extending substantially evenly spaced ridges and inwardly extending projections of predetermined breadth at the base, said projections being adapted to engage the undercut beneath said bead, and a finger lift comprising a smooth edged flap extending radially outwardly from one side of the crown and encompassing a distance equal to substantially four times the distance between adjacent ridges, said flap having an upstanding longitudinal central rib progressively expanding toward its outer end and providing projection means at the sides of the inner end thereof having a breadth at the base equal to substantially twice the breadth of said first identified projections and adapted to engage beneath said bead, auxiliary ribs comprising extensions of correspondingly located ridges, said ribs being of lesser width than the central rib and extending radially outwardly at an angle to said central rib, the angular distance between center lines of said auxiliary ribs being substantially equal to the angular distance between four of said evenly spaced ridges, said fiap having an angularly downwardly extending position when in sealed position whereby to provide a finger hold for manually removing the crown cap.

4. In a closure for a crown sealed container having a neck with a pouring opening therein, a rounded bead at the outer end of the neck forming an undercut and a rim surrounding the pouring opening, the combination of a crown cap comprising a central flat portion adapted to fit over said rim and having an inner sealing face, a crown at the rim of said flat portion of alternating outwardly extending substantially evenly spaced ridges and inwardly extending projections, said projections being adapted to engage beneath said head, and a finger lift comprising a fiap extending radially outwardly from one side of the crown and encompassing an excess of three of said ridges, said flap having a longitudinal central rib, the.

base of said central rib having a breadth substantially equal to the distance between two of said ridges, means adjacent said base of the rib adapted to engage beneath said bead, auxiliary ribs at the sides of the central rib comprising extensions of correspondingly located ridges and extending radially outwardly at an angle to said central rib, an area of metal filling spaces on each side of the flap between the outer edge of each auxiliary rib and the next adjacent ridge, said flap having an angularly downwardly extending position when in sealed position whereby to provide a finger hold for manually removing the crown cap, the peripheral edges of said flap being turned laterally thereof to provide a peripheral flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

